Control valve means



Filed Sept. l2, 1936 63 j @7 6 /23 @f @0% M 52h26 gg, @alumni- 2 2J J ff. je

26' J0 Ja Azz 52 53 29 Patented. July 25, 1939 CONTROL VALVE IIIEAN S Elmer J. Dunham and Walter C. Yeakel, Battle f. Creek, Mich., assignors to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Mich., a corporation of Michigan i Application September; 12, 1936, Serial.v No. 100,515

4 clains.

This invention relates to control valve means, and more particularly is directed to control valve means for effecting reciprocation of a hydraulically actuated piston. o

'I'he invention is particularly designed for the operation of a lift cylinder such as disclosed in the copending application of Elmer J. Dunham, Serial No. 94,926, iiled August 8, 1936.

' One of the primaryobjects of the present invention is to provide a compact valve structure for accomplishing reciprocation `of a piston,

which structure is of simplified design and can,

be readily formed from castings with only a small amount of machine work.

Another object of the present invention isV toxv provide a valve structure' which is vcapable of standardized production so that interchangeable valve members can be employed in the same valve housin'gfwithout the necessity of individual lapvping-in of the valve members; l

A still further obje'ct of the invention is to provide a valve-means of this type which can be easily controlled for movementinto all of its various operating positions so that alminimum of eii'ort is required for shifting'of lthe-valveto eilect reciprocationof the piston. It is desirable, in avalve `of this type, to utilize a construction so arranged and disposed that the valve member does not need to be positively restrained in any of its shifted positions, so that the continued application of shifting force may be eliminated. The present design produces a valve which is hydraulically vbalanced in each of its shifted positions so that it' tends to stay in any i5 predetermined position until moved to another position by the shifting mechanism.v

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a valve structure which can be readily mounted directly on the cylinder l0 enclosing the piston or load operating means and can be operatively connected directly to opposite 22. The member I! is preferably provided with ends of such a cylinder.

Other objects and advantages of the present l invention will appear more fully from the followl5 ling detailed description which, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred form of the present invention. i0 In the drawing: Figure 1 is a sectional view through the valve taken substantially on line I--I o f Figure 3;

Figure 2 is a sectional Kviewtaken substantially on the line 2-2 bf Figure 3; i5 Figure 3`is an end elevationalview of the valve and for other purposes, and the invention is -tween any suitable actuating means, such as a structures shown in detail in Figures 1 and 2; a'nd- Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing the valve in one of its shifted positions.V v While we have disclosed the present construc- 5 tion in its relationship to a cylinder of the type shown in the Dunham application above .referred to, it is to be understood thatt'he valve is capable of use in connection with other types of cylinders therefore not to be limited except as defined byI the claims appended hereto.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the valve body is'indicated generally at 5 and comprises a substantially rectangular block having a plurality of openings 6' extending therethrough and adapted to receive securing means for lmounting the valve body in position on extension 1 of a power cylinder indicated generally at 8,

the power cylinder having the piston 9, 'of any 20 l design or preferred construction, guided' for reciprocation therein.

'They valve bodyi is provided with a longitudinal passageway I0, cylindrical in form, which is adapted to be machined within relatively close limits for receiving a reciprocating valve memgber- I2 therein. One end of the passageway Il is closed by the cap member I3 suitably secured to the end face of the body 5, while the opposite end is provided with a cap plate' or packing gland member Il secured tothe opposite end face of the block and suitably recessed, as indicated at I5, to receive packing engaging the lateral surface of the valve stem I6. The packing is compressed into position about this surface by the packing gland nut I1 threaded into the recessed opening of the gland member Il.

` 'I'he outer end of the valve stem I6 is provided with the projecting portion I8 flttinginto a suit-vv able socket formed in a clevis or attachment member I9 and secured thereto by the set screw bifurcated arms 22 adaptedto receive therebebell crank lever Aor the like, for. producing reciprocation ofthe valve stem Il to control the movement of the piston 9. v

The valve body 5 is provided with an upwardly extending boss portion 25 suitably threaded to receive the supply conduit4 26 for conducting iluid under pressure to the valve body 5. Immediately below the boss 25 there isiormed in the pvalve' body 5 the chamber 2'I providing a manifold 'for supplying the three substantially annular 55 ,eating with the bore Il, the

`ing the fluid from between lin Pigure 4. At the spacedy inlet eways 21,29 and 3l communicating with the bore l0.

Projecting from one lateral surface of the valve bodyfl therer is provided a second offset portion Il suitably threaded at one end to receive the exhaust conduit 30 connected to the inletside of a fluid pump or the like and forming, with thevalve bodyl, the exhaust manifold l1 whichis common to each of the Iexha n eways 38. l. and 4l, also communicating with the bore I0.

The side of the body l which is bolted to the top of the cylinder l is provided with a pair of spaced passageways or ports 42 and Il, communiport I2 terminating in a cylindrical e Il disposed between the eways Il and 2l, and the port Il terminating in the eway 4l spaced between the inlet e 3l and the outlet passage Il.

The valve member i2 maybe formed from a cylindrical piece of stock which is milled down in certain places to form portions of reduced diameter providing for entrance and exhaust of the fluid through the various ports and manifold passageways. These portions are indicated respectively at l0, 52, Il, M and 55. u At opposite ends of the Vvalve member there are provided annular flanged portions 8l and l2, each of which is provided with a small opening t3 extendingtherethrough and providing a bypass for exhaustthe iianges 60 and 82 and the closure plates Il and Il as the valve is reciprocated into its various positions. In the central portion of the valve member there is provided a pair of annular flange members il and spaced apart a distance as indicated by the axial length of the ,portion il' of the valve member. The valve is also provided with enlarged cylindrical portions Il and Il interposed, respectively, between the flanges l and Il and 02 and Il. The valve is guided for reciprocation in the bore il by the engagement of these enlarged surfaces 80,12, Si, 61 and tl with the Vdefining wall of the bore. i

Thevalve member is shown in its neutral position in Figures 1 and 2. .In this position, the sup- :way 2l communicates directly with the exhaust passageway ll about the reduced portion I8 of the valve member, while the passageways Il and Il are closed oi! from both the supply manifold 21 and the exhaust manifold 31, by reason of the cylindrical portions l1 .and Il.

' With the piston as shown in Figure 2, no pressure is being applied to either side of the piston; since the inlet conduit is in direct communication with the outlet conduit-It. Upon moving the valve stem Il to the right until the flange l2 moves up against the inner surface of the closure cap il, the portion of the valve mem is moved into a position closing the a Il, as shown same time, the supply passageway Il is placed in communication with the eway ll about the reduced 'portion B4 of the valve member providing for direct flow of :duid under pressure from .the manifold 21 through passageways Il and Il to the port fr Prom the port u the iiuid p through the passageway 1l into the right hand end of the cylinder Q and consequently tends to movezthe piston l to the left. I

At the same time, the ons l and Il of the member I2 move into on on opposite sides of the 2 e: ay 2l so that this eway delivers huid .against opposite faces of the members Il and il to hold the valve in balanced position. The portion i1 likewise moves into position to close passageway 2l and opens'the path between passageways 44 and 38 about the redud portion 50 of the valve member. As a. result, fluid on Ythe left hand sideoi' the piston l is exhausted through the eway 38 tothe exhaust manifold I1, allowing the piston to' move to the left under the iniiuence of the fluid pressure entering through the port I3.

With the piston in position 'at the left hand end of cylinder l, the valve member I2 is moved from the position shown in Figures l and 2 to the left to bring the Ilange Il toward the closure plate il. This moves the portion 61 of the valve into position to close on passageway and to open the path between eways 28 and Il about the reduced portion i2 of the valve.l As a result, fluid under, pressure passes about the reduced portion i2 of the valve to the portl I2 and thence through the passageway 12 to the left hand side of the piston 0. At the same time, the

lmembers 65 and 66 move into position on opposite sides of the passageway 3l` to effectively close off this passageway, and alsoy to close off communication between passageway 20 and passageway 39.

The portion 88 of the v alve moves into position closing the inlet passagewaytio'n with opposite ends of the cylinder to effect' proper reciprocation of the piston, and that the central passageway 2! of the supply conduit will conduct fluid under pressure against equal and opposite faces of the valve member to hold the valve in balanced position so that'there is no tendency of the valve to move out of either of its shifted positions.

3l to provide for v l balanced pressure against adjacent faces of the Further, when the valve is in the neutral n tion shown in Figure 2, the uid pressure from the passageways 29 and I0 exerts equal pressure on opposite faces of the flange' 66, thereby holding the valve stabilized in this position. This is of distinct advantage in that it relieves the shifting mechanism of stresses incident to holding thc valvev in either of its shifted positions against fluid pressure while the end construction of the. valve members, including'the flanges $0 and i2, serves as a cushioning means preventing the valve from being moved too abruptly into either of its limited positions. l l

Due to the fact that the passageway I0 and the external annular surface \of the member I2 can both be machinedI within relatively close limits, andiluid pressure 'is acting axially along the contact surfaces therebetween, the valve member i2 is cushioned for slidingmovement, and further,

` interchangeable valve members may be employed y closure plates, securing means, and the inlet and exhaust conduits, a valve of simplified and economical construction is produced.

, We are aware that various changes and modications can be made with respect to the dimensions and proportions of various of the parts shown herein, and that the valve is equally useful for purposes other that that described specically herein as an illustrativev embodiment of the invention. We therefore do not intend to be limited, except as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A valve comprising a valve body formed as a rectangular block having a ,longitudinal bore therethrough, a boss on one side of 'said block defining an intake manifold having means for receiving an intake conduit and having a plurality of axially spaced annular passageways extending about and communicating with said bore,I

a second boss on an adjacent side of said block defining an exhaust manifold having means for receiving an exhaust conduit and having a corresponding plurality of axially spaced annular passageways, two of said intake passageways being disposed intermediate two adjacent exhaust passageways, ports communicating with said bore between certain of said intake and exhaust passageways and opening out on the next adjacent face of said block, and means disposed for axial shifting movement in said bore to place said ports in selective communication with. said intake and outlet passageways, one of said intermediate intake passageways serving only to permit balanced pressure-being exerted on said shifting means in said selected shifted positions.

2. A valve comprising a valve body having a' into aposition to place oneof said ports in com-I munication with an intake passageway and the other of said ports with an exhaust passageway, the third intake and exhaust passageways being thereby separated by another of said enlargements. I

.3. A valve comprising a valve body having a longitudinal bore therethrough, an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold in said body, each having three annular passageways in communication with said bore, one exhaust passageway being disposed adjacent each end of said bore and having a corresponding intake passageway spaced axially inwardly thereof, ports in said body opening into said bore intermediate said pairs of intake and exhaust passageways, the other exhaust passageway being disposed between one of said corresponding intake passageways and the remaining intake passageway, a-

` the other of said ports and an associated exhaust passageway and to shut oi communication between said remaining intake andthe other exhaust passageway. p

, 4. The combination of claim 3 characterized in that said plunger has enlargements whereby in either shifted position said remaining intake passageway is capable of transmitting fluid under pressure .to opposite facesof said enlargements, whereby said plunger is maintained balanced in either of its shifted positions.

ELMER J. DUNHAM. W. C. YEAKEL. 

